Tagged: Psycho

The iconic filmmaker’s life is explored in the new bio-pic/ IMAGE VIA imdb.com

The new bio-pic “Hitchcock” has been out for a couple days and it seems only fitting we acknowledge the famous film-maker. Although everyone knows at least one of his films, not many people know about the main man himself or how he put together those classic horror and suspense flicks. The film depicts Hitchcock’s life at the time he was filming Psycho, featuring the iconic shower scene and an abundance of bird taxidermy. Now I understand that probably only the die-hard fans and grandparents who actually saw the original movies in theaters will go out and see the movie, so I’ve put together a cheat sheet. It’s a quick way to impress any cinematic fanatic friends you may have and get them off your back.

Alfred Hitchcock had mommy and daddy issues. His tough parents had some extreme punishments. Once, his father sent him to jail with a note to have him locked up. Referenced in Psycho, Alfred’s mother also used to force him to stand at the foot of her bed for several hours. Perhaps this explains the origins of some of his brilliantly twisted ideas.

Throughout his films he had a collection of trademarks that could be recognized by the audience. The first was his cameo appearance in all of his films. He also had a thing for blonde leading ladies.

In regards to the Oscars, Alfred Hitchcock never won Best Director despite being nominated multiple times. He also gave the shortest acceptance speech when he was awarded the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award, simply saying “Thank you.”

Now a little bit of Psycho facts to sate your desires without giving away the ending:

Norman Bates is an iconic character, and Hitchcock portrays him as such. Details in the beginning hint towards his mental condition and towards the eventual conclusion of the film.

The famous 3 minute shower scene took a solid week to film, a sixth of the entire time taken to complete the six week production. It consisted of 90 shots from 70 different camera angles. But don’t worry the water was warm.

The actress who was to play the role of Mrs. Bates, Norman’s mother, was kept shrouded in secrecy until the film premiered. A multitude of actresses requested the part, but it wasn’t revealed until the end of the movie who was cast.

Movie goers were not allowed to enter the theater if the film had already started. Creative tactics ranging from recordings (“Five minutes to Psycho time”) and life size cut outs of Hitchcock persuaded the audience to be prompt. It also made for one heck of a publicity stunt.

The on-screen flushing toilet was what offended the censors the most.

And thanks to Hitchcock, decades after Psychopremiered, some people have a fear of showers to this day. My grandmother included.